ASCA Certification is designed to identify and recognize professionally prepared coaches on a national level. Join more than 3700 ASCA certified coaches who have moved up the ladder of advancement. ASCA Certification is based on your education, experience and achievement since the start of your coaching career. ASCA is currently working with employers across the U.S. in order to educate them about our certification program and to assist in raising the compensation levels of swimming coaches nationwide. Available through home study or clinic presentation, ASCA provides five certification schools to aid in your professional development. These include: Foundations of Coaching, The Stroke School, The Physiology School, the Administration School and the Leadership School. The ASCA also offers Educational Enrichment courses. These include: The Dryland Training Course, Working Successfully with Swimming Parents Course, and The Age Group Sports Psychology Course.

Why Be Certified?

Certification means that you are serious about your profession. It means that you care about your continuing coaching education and your professional preparation. It marks you as a coach who is in the mainstream of the coaching profession, and willing to be examined in the same light as the great coaches of this country, be they in collegiate, high school, YMCA or club positions. Employers know that the Certified Coach is committed to professional effort, has professional preparation and professional ethics.

In addition, compensation information and access to professionally evaluated positions are available to Certified Coaches. Certification gives you a title you deserve... “Coach John Doe, ASCA Level 3, Age Group.”

Certification also states your credentials precisely and concisely. If you are well educated, but do not yet have the time in service or the opportunity to work with better athletes, it says so. As you gain experience, and then gain the opportunity and are successful in actually producing fast swimming with your athletes, it reflects that. This precision is very important and valuable to those who employ swimming coaches... and hence, it protects you from unfair comparisons with others who write “creative resumes” to apply for jobs. ASCA Certification provides factual information on you to your potential employer.

There are three things analyzed in the Certification process. They are: Education, Experience and Achievement. Your Certification shows that you have met the required standard at each Level. The Five Levels become increasingly more difficult. Level 5 is composed of the top 2-5% of coaches in the USA. Level 4 is the top 5-8% and Level 3 is the upper 15% of coaches. Level 2 requires more “units” of education and experience than Level 1.
Click here for more information on the certification program. If you have Adobe Acrobat reader and can view PDF files, you can download an application by clicking. - Certification Application